Valentine’s Day is just around the corner, and that means that the grocery store aisles are filled with Valentine’s Day themed chocolates and gummy candies. And as fun as it is to celebrate Valentine’s Day with a sweet treat or two, all of that candy can really take a toll on your dental health. So whether you’re sending your child to school with special Valentine’s Day gifts for classmates, or you’re looking for something to give to your children this Valentine’s Day, here are 10 great Valentine’s Day gift ideas for kids that aren’t candy.
Toy animals
This one is a lot of fun—try getting a bunch of small toy animals and attaching “punny” paper valentines to them. For a lion, you might say “I’d be ‘lion’ if I said I didn’t love you,” or for a deer, you might say “happy Valentine’s Day, ‘deer’!”
Toy insects
Similarly, you might get a bunch of toy insects to work into your valentines as “love bugs.”
Pencils
Pencils are easy, and you can always find a good Valentine’s Day pun to go with them as well. “You’re the ‘write’ one for me,” “I’ll get to the point—happy Valentine’s Day,” and “you’re all ‘write’” are all great options.
Crayons
Find some small packs of crayons and attach a message like “you color my world” to them.
Rulers
Rulers are another easy school-supplies themed gift, and you can attach valentines to them that read “you rule.”
Glow sticks
Glow sticks make for a great gift option because you can easily pair a glow stick with a paper valentine, and there are so many puns that you can make with glow sticks. You might attach a paper valentine to a glow stick that reads “you light up my life,” for example, or you might say something like “you make my heart glow.”
Bouncy balls
This is another easy, affordable gift that you can make Valentine’s Day sentiments with. Try “my heart bounces for you” or “hope you Valentine’s Day is a ball.”
Crafty flowers
Another fun idea is to make flowers using your craft supplies. You could use yarn for pom pom flower tops, or cardstock for flower petals.
Bubbles
Kids love bubbles, and you can pair small containers of bubbles with phrases like “you blow me away” or “you make my heart float.”
Heart themed fortune tellers
You could make heart themed fortune tellers. Draw different colored hearts on the four outside panels, and then include special Valentine’s Day themed messages on the inside like “you have a secret admirer” or “be my valentine.”